Dean Etheridge
The NCAA Basketball season started earlier this week and we are already seeing the action come thick and fast as the teams get their respective 2022/23 campaigns under way. This Thursday the NCAA defending champions, the Kansas Jayhawks, are in action, and they headline our free NCAAB betting picks on the night’s best action.
Yes, the 2022/23 NCAA Basketball season started on November 7th, 2022, and ahead of us we have no end of action. The competition runs until April 3rd, 2023, when the season concludes with the championship game.
In last season’s championship game, the Jayhawks won the NCAA Tournament, defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69, to win their fourth national title. The title was the second (2008 and 2022) won by legendary coach, Bill Self, who has been in charge of the team since 2003.
Your 2022 National Champions…🏆
HAS A NICE RING TO IT 😁 pic.twitter.com/GR27MoPIpi
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) April 5, 2022
So, can the Jayhawks defend their title this season, or will we see a different name on the cup come April 3rd?
2023 NCAA Tournament Winner Betting Odds
Despite being the defending champions, the Jayhawks aren’t the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament. That accolade goes to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who are +800 with Bovada.
Depending on where you bet, it could be that the Bulldogs share their favorites tag with Houston, who are +850 with Bovada. This is because elsewhere, some of the best college basketball betting sites are struggling to separate the two teams.
The other two teams making up the four main favorites at this early stage are last season’s beaten finalists, the North Carolina Tar Heels at +900, and the Kentucky Wildcats, who are +950.
As for the Jayhawks, they are +1400 to win their fifth title, and third under Bill Self. They are currently ranked five, but the betting sees them as sixth favorites. The other team in the betting mix is Duke, who are fifth favorites at +1300.
| 2022/23 NCAAB Tournament Winner Betting |  |
| Gonzaga | +800 |
| Houston | +850 |
| North Carolina | +900 |
| Kentucky | +950 |
| Duke | +1300 |
| Kansas | +1400 |
The odds vary from sportsbook to sportsbook. So make sure you find the bookmaker offering the best odds on the team you want to put your wager on. Now, let’s take a look at some of the night’s best action, and make our NCAA college basketball betting picks.
Kansas v ND State
The main attraction on Thursday is the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks are the reigning NCAA Tournament holders, but as we can see from the above betting, they are far from the favorites to win the title again this season.
- What; Kansas Jayhawks v North Dakota State Bison
- Where; Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
- When; Thursday, November 10th, 2022
- Time; 8 pm ET
The Jayhawks are ranked five, and they are taking on the unranked ND State at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won their opening match 89-64 against Omaha on Monday, and will be expecting to beat a Bison’s team – not expected to trouble any of the favorites this season – when they meet tonight.
ND State lost their season’s opener by 76-58 away to Arkansas, who are ranked ten. This match also took place on Monday night. It’s fair to say that it’s a difficult couple of fixtures for ND State to have to start the season with, and this is one of the reasons why I don’t see them having any success in this match.
On the handicap line, Kansas are -115 from a start of -24. With a start of +24, ND State is -105. The total points spread is set at 143, both over and under is -110.
For my betting pick, I’m going for Kansas on the handicap. They won their opening match by 25, and I can see them winning by a similar margin tonight.
Odds for this bet are supplied by BetOnline, you can read more about this popular bookmaker and their latest betting offers in our BetOnline sportsbook review.
Creighton v North Dakota
Also in action on Thursday night is Creighton and North Dakota. The Creighton Bluejays are ranked ninth at the moment, and they opened their season with a 72-60 win over St Thomas MN.
JAYS WIN! JAYS WIN! JAYS WIN!!!!!#GoJays pic.twitter.com/tV1cPWTCa4
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) November 8, 2022
Creighton won both halves comfortably, taking the first 40-35, and the second, 32-25.
- What; Creighton Bluejays v North Dakota Fighting Hawks
- Where; CenturyLink Center Omaha, Omaha, Neebraska
- When; Thursday, November 10th, 2022
- Time; 9 pm ET
As for North Dakota, they defeated Incarnate Word 65-57 in their season opener. The scores were level at 28 each at half time, but a strong second period saw the Fighting Hawks win the second period 37-29, and with it, the match.
Although North Dakota will be difficult opponents, I still don’t see them having enough to beat the Bluejays.
The handicap marker is set at 28 in favor of North Dakota. Both teams are currently -110. On the total points market, over 139.5 is -115, whilst under 139.5 is -105.
In this match I’m going for Creighton to win on the handicap for my first pick. I expect them to be stronger in their second match of the season, and so I would prefer to back them to beat the spread. I’m also going for over 139.5 points in the total points market. If Creighton beat the handicap, I suspect there will be a lot of points scored in this match.
